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Spotlight: World major powers, Iran reach common solutions in nuke talks

Xinhua, April 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

Top negotiators on Thursday concluded the Iran nuclear talks in Lausanne and reached common solutions to outstanding issues, a senior European Union (EU) official said.

"Today, we have taken a decisive step. We have reached solutions on key parameters of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini read a joint statement at a press conference held in Lausanne.

"As agreed in November 2013, we gathered here to find solutions towards reaching comprehensive resolution to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program and the comprehensive lifting of all sanctions," she said.

She added the political determination, good will and hard work of all parties made it possible.

"This is a crucial decision, laying great bases for the final text of the JCPOA," she said. "We can now restart drafting the text and analysis of the JCPOA guided by the solutions developed in these days."

On behalf on Iran and P5+1 countries, namely the United States, France, Britain, Russia, China plus Germany, to read the statement, she said all sides agreed Iran's enrichment capacity, enrichment level and stockpile will be limited for specific duration and there will be no other enrichment facility than the country's Natanz nuclear plant.

"Iran's research and development on centrifuges will be carried out based on a cope and schedule that has been mutually agreed," she said.

As to Iran's controversial Fordow nuclear plant, it will be converted from an enrichment site into a nuclear, physics and technology center.

Regarding the lifting of sanctions imposed on Iran over the years, she said the EU will terminate the implementation of all nuclear-related secondary economic and financial sanctions.

The EU foreign policy chief, who chaired the intensive negations from March 26 to April 2, highlighted that a new UN Security Council Resolution will endorse the JCPOC, terminate all previous nuclear-related resolutions and incorporate certain restrictive measures for a mutually agreed period of time.

In the end, she said all sides will now work to write the text of a JCPOA to include all technical details in the coming weeks and months at the political and experts level, adding the efforts will be completed by June 30.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a following press conference that "We have decided to take steps for a period of time to assure anybody who has concerns, that our program is exclusively peaceful, has always been and always will remain exclusively peaceful."

He said the "win-win outcome" is a major step to resolve the nuclear issue, hoping through the courageous implementation could remedy the mutual distrust between Iran and the United States.

However, the top Iranian negotiator said "we will continue enriching, we will continue research and development."

U.S. President Barack Obama Thursday said in a statement that "today, the United States, together with our allies and partners, has reached an historic understanding with Iran".

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry echoed in a press conference, saying "Today we reached a critical milestone."

"P5+1, EU partners and Iran have arrived consensus of key parameters of enrichment, that once implemented will give international community confidence that Iran's nuclear program is and will remain exclusively peaceful," he said.

"Our political understanding opens door to a long term resolution to international community's concerns about Iran's nuclear program," the U.S. senior diplomat added.

He said the political understanding with details that we have reached is a solid foundation for the good deal we are seeking, it is the foundation a deal that will see Iran reduces its stockpile of enriching uranium by 98 percent for 15 years. Endit